Chosen By The Cursed Alpha King (Emilia) novel Chapter 204

LUCIEN’S POV

The training ground was already alive when I arrived, the air sharp with early morning chill.

The younger warriors were lined up in uneven rows, some stretching, some already sparring, their laughter and grunts filling the wide open space. Normally, this was where my mind cleared. Where I breathed. Where I remembered who I was beyond duty and chaos.

Today, my chest felt tight.

I stood at the edge of the field, hands clasped behind my back, eyes scanning the crowd as I oversaw their movements. Every misstep, every sloppy strike, every moment of hesitation-I caught it all. Or at least, I tried to.

Because no matter how hard I focused, my awareness kept drifting to one place.

Adele.

She stood a few steps away from me, dressed in simple training clothes, her hair pulled back, her posture straight and calm. Too calm. But she was there. She hadn’t hidden.

She hadn’t avoided me. She hadn’t locked herself away in her room or drowned herself in tears.

She stayed.

And God, I loved her for that more than she would ever know.

There was tension between us-I felt it with every breath —but it wasn’t cold or cruel. It was tight, stretched thin like a wire pulled too far. One wrong move and it could snap. But still, she stayed close, like she was anchoring herself to me instead of drifting away.

That gave me hope.

I cleared my throat and raised my voice. “Pair up.”

The warriors moved quickly, finding partners, excitement flashing in their eyes. Some of them glanced at me, then at Adele, curiosity sharp and obvious.

I turned slightly toward her. “Adele,” I said quietly, just for her. “Be my partner.”

For a heartbeat, I wasn’t sure what she would do.

Then she smiled.

It wasn’t bright or carefree, but it was real. And when she stepped toward me, coming to my side like she belonged there-like she always had-something inside my chest loosened.

“Alright,” she said simply.

I swallowed and faced the group again. “Today, we train control,” I announced. “Power means nothing if you don’t know when to use it. You won’t always have the luxury of shifting. Sometimes you’ll be in human form, surrounded,outnumbered. That’s when surprise becomes your weapon.”

I demonstrated footwork, how to read an opponent’s stance, how to bait them into a false sense of safety.

Adele moved with me, matching my pace, her eyes sharp and focused. When I showed a strike, she countered. When Hunged, she slipped away.

She hit me harder than necessary.

I felt it instantly—a sharp blow to my ribs, another to my shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make a point.

Ah.

So that was how she was coping.

I didn’t stop her.

If she needed to let her anger out on me, I would take every hit. I deserved worse.

We circled each other, the warriors forming a loose ring around us, watching closely. Adele moved fast, her jaw tight, eyes blazing with something fierce and painful. She landed another blow, then another.

A few of the younger warriors winced.

I caught her wrist mid-strike and twisted, stepping into her space. She tried to knee me, and | laughed despite myself.”You’re predictable when you’re angry,” I murmured.

“Don’t get cocky,” she shot back, breathless.

She twisted free and shoved me hard. I staggered back a step, then surged forward and tackled her to the ground.

She yelped. “Hey! That’s cheating!”

Laughter erupted around us.

Adele laughed too, breathless and surprised, trying to wiggle out from under me. She pushed at my chest, her hair coming loose, eyes bright despite everything.

I pinned her wrists above her head, holding her down easily. “In a real fight,” I said, leaning closer, “there is no cheating.”

Her lips twitched. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Maybe,” I admitted.

The laughter around us grew louder.

For just a moment-just one—I forgot. Forgot the fear.

Forgot the woman claiming a child. Forgot the test and the weight pressing down on my chest.

Then a small voice cut through the noise like a blade.

“Daddy!”

The world stopped.The laughter died instantly. Every sound seemed to vanish as that single word echoed across the training ground.

“Did he cheat on her?”

“Poor girl…”

Each murmur felt like a stone thrown at my back.

Adele stood there, silent, her arms at her sides, her gazesteady. I couldn’t read her at all, and that terrified me more than tears ever could.

Then Naomi appeared.

She moved quickly, her expression sharp as she reached Andrea. “Andrea,” she said firmly, bending down to his level. “I told you not to come out here.”

He pouted. “I just wanted to see Daddy.”

The word sliced through me again.

Naomi straightened slightly, her eyes flicking to me, then to Adele. “Your daddy is busy right now,” she said coolly.” You can see him later.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came.

What could I say? What could I possibly say that wouldn’t make everything worse?

I turned toward Adele.

She wasn’t beside me anymore.

She was walking away.

“Adele,” I whispered.

She didn’t stop.

Andrea tightened his grip on my leg, oblivious to the storm raging around us. “Daddy?” he said softly.I stood there, trapped. One part of me anchored to the ground by a child who might be mine. Another part tearing itself apart as the woman I loved walked away from me.

The warriors watched in silence. No one laughed now. No one spoke.

This felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

And for the first time since all of this began, fear sank its claws deep into my chest.

Because I didn’t know which way to turn.

And I had a terrible feeling that no matter what I did next, I was about to lose everything.